A/N: Hey guys! Back again with a long chapter that triples as a makeup for missing last month, a happy early birthday to Percy and the second to last chapter of this series before the move to How We Could Have Met 3! Hope you like it!
Annabeth has gone on morning jogs along the beach for two years now and never has she stumbled across a body.
She's cooling off from her jog, walking up to the shoreline to dip her feet in the water, when her foot hits something hard.
"What the—"
Looking down, she sees a torso half-covered in sand. She jumps back in surprise as a wave washes some of the sand away.
There's an actual human lying there.
She can't help but step closer as she finds the rest of him. His black hair is sopping wet, covering his face, and the lower half of his body is covered in sand. He's not moving.
Suddenly very afraid that she's stumbled across a dead body, she tentatively nudges his torso.
The movement shocks and relieves her. He's alive! And a wave is going to drown him if he doesn't wake up.
She kneels down beside him and starts to shake his arm.
"Hey! Get up! A wave is coming in!"
He's groggy and slow, but she manages to sit him up before the water comes in.
"Wha—"
The water seems to wake him. Reaching a sandy hand up, he brushes the hair out of his face and looks around wildly. His eyes are a magnificent sea-green.
"Where…am I?" He asks, pushing himself up with a surprising amount of strength for someone who was just unconscious and half-submerged in sand.
"Um…Montauk…" she replies hesitantly, stepping back now that he's gotten a hold of himself.
"Oh…"
He looks down at himself and she realizes he's not wearing a shirt. Well, she realized before, but now she's noticing. 'Cause he has…well, a nice body.
He stands up fully, sand still sticking to him, and thankfully he's still wearing shorts. At least he didn't get drunk enough to take those off.
"How much did you drink?" she asks, as he looks around the beach.
"What?"
She nods to the ground where he'd been laying. "You were literally asleep on the shoreline, how did that happen?"
He looks down at the indent in the sand where he'd been and mumbles something under his breath that sounds like "father."
"Are you…okay?" she asks hesitantly. He seems, strangely, put together and crazy at the same time.
He's moved his gaze from the sand to the sea and continues to stare as he nods his reply.
Given that he's up, breathing, and conscious, she decides her work is done and leaves him to whatever he's thinking about.
"Alright, um…good luck."
He doesn't respond and she takes it as a sign to leave. She starts walking back the way she came, turning around only once to see the mysterious handsome stranger still standing at the shoreline and looking out at the sea.
-.-
She'd like to say that she forgets about him after that. But it's by far the strangest thing that's happened to her on this beach (which is saying something. because she's a lifeguard and tends to see all the strange things that happen), so it doesn't leave her mind.
Plus, she sees him again the next day as she walks to her chair. He's sitting in the sand, still wearing the same shorts as last time and still shirtless.
And, if she didn't know any better, moping, judging by the way he's frowning at the ocean.
The waves are little rough this morning, not bad enough to close the beach or anything, but enough for her to keep a wary eye. Jason's in the small boat at the edge of the safety line so they have their bases covered there. But there's still a weird worry in her stomach.
Thankfully though, the day passes with no incident, and she lets out an audible sigh of relief when she climbs down for the day.
She doesn't know where the worry came from, just that it's weird and mostly she's glad it's over. Scanning the area one last time, her gaze stops once again on the guy sitting in the sand. It doesn't look like he's moved from this morning.
Feeling a sense of obligation (because she did find him after all), she walks over to check on him.
"Hey!" she calls as she gets closer.
He turns his head at the sound of her voice and once again, she's mesmerized by the color of his eyes. Deep pools of sea-green seem to pull her in for a second before she gets herself together.
"Just thought I'd see how you were doing," she continues, rambling a little when he doesn't respond. "Hangover worn off yet?" she jokes.
His face morphs into visible confusion and now it's just getting awkward.
"I'm doing alright," he responds.
She wants to say that the frown on his face paired with the fact he's barely moved say otherwise, but it's awkward enough as it is so she just nods.
"Cool, well…I'll see you around." She cringes a little at her own words.
He nods, watching her closely and she burns a little under the intensity of his gaze.
"You're the lifeguard?"
She nods, surprised at the continued conversation from his end.
"So you protect people."
Well, that makes it sound grander than it is. Mostly, she just sits in a chair for long periods of time.
"Um, sure," she responds. "I just make sure people don't get hurt."
He nods slowly. "That is a noble pursuit."
She has no idea how to respond to that. Luckily, he continues talking. "The ocean can be a dangerous place."
She follows his gaze to the sea in front of them. The waves are still kind of choppy.
"Yeah," she agrees. "It's been rougher than normal today."
The frown sets on his face again at her words.
"Yes…"
Feeling like the conversation is over, she just nods. "Well, hopefully tomorrow is better…I'll see ya."
She swears she's not usually this awkward, he's just hard to talk to. With a small wave he doesn't see, she starts her walk to her cabin, looking back once to find him exactly as she had left him.
What a strange one.
-.-
Tomorrow isn't better. The waves are worse, and she's convinced they're actually going to close off the beach until she finds Jason gearing up to head out.
"Seriously?"
Jason nods grimly. "I don't think it's a good idea either."
"I can switch with you now if you want," she offers. There's a chance they'll calm down later in the day. But Jason shakes his head.
"No, it's okay, we'll switch at noon like planned."
So she makes her way to her chair again, the worry in her stomach back. There aren't a lot of people here today and she really can't blame them.
The lack of people makes him that much easier to spot. The guy is still sitting in the sand, still in the same shorts, still not wearing a shirt. The only thing that's different is that he's moved to a spot closer to her chair.
Now she's wondering if he's homeless. The way he holds himself is so…regal, that she wouldn't have thought that, but seeing him two days in a row looking the same is enough to make her question it.
Forcing herself to tear her gaze away from him, she scans the rest of the beach. A couple off to the left, mostly sunbathing. A man reading something under an umbrella, and a family of four that's currently making their way onto the beach.
The two little boys immediately run to the water and for some reason she feels an anxious pull at her gut.
But they stay in the shallow waters and end up heading back to their parents a little while later. She lets out a sigh of relief and gets down from her chair, waiting for Thalia to take her spot.
But as soon as she steps down into the sand, a scream pierces the air.
She's running to the water before she even processes the situation. One of the boys is being swept into the choppy waves that seem to have gotten bigger and worse in the span of a few minutes.
How did this even happen? She saw them head out of the water. One of them must have turned around.
She makes it to the water fairly quickly, wading in until she's about waist deep. Holding out her lifesaver, she yells at him to grab on as she tries to get closer.
Just when she's within reach, another strong wave splashes her face, submerging her for a second too long. When she finally gasps for breath, treading water, she can't find the little boy.
Somewhere nearby she hears the whirring of Jason's boat, but she focuses on searching for the boy. Panic and adrenaline are surging through her. She's devoid of her lifesaver and hopes that it means that the boy grabbed it before they separated.
And then, out of the corner of her eye, she sees a flash of red. And there he is, somehow still clinging on. As quickly as she can, she swims to the now-crying boy, pulling her closer to him as she waves to get Jason's attention.
"It's gonna be okay," she gasps out, trying to keep them both stable. It's for her as much as it is for him.
Thankfully, Jason reaches them only a minute later, and she immediately helps to haul in the boy first.
But then, just as she's about to get in, a strong current pulls her back far enough that she loses her grip on the boat. And once again, she's completely submerged.
She tries to aim up, but the current is too strong. She's running out of oxygen.
Breaching the surface for just a second, she gulps in as much air as she can before she's back in again. Everything is muffled and quiet and her lungs are screaming in pain.
It's the most scared she's ever been.
And just when she thinks she can't hold her breath any longer, a strong arm wraps around her waist and suddenly there's air again.
The water is still choppy, even worse than before, but the arm is still wrapped around her, somehow keeping her above all of it.
She forces her head to turn to see and thank (if she can form words) her savior. Messy black hair comes into view and it's the guy she found washed up on shore. He's holding on to her firmly, miraculously unfazed by the strong waves around them.
They're closer to the shore and she wants to be able to walk, but she's losing energy so quickly now that she's in relative safety. Trying to just focus on breathing, she lets him half-carry her the rest of the way.
"Annabeth!" Jason's running towards her as soon as they get close enough.
Words aren't really working right now, and neither are her legs. Luckily, her savior lowers her onto the sand gently before she can fall. She sees the family off to the tight, both boys safe with their parents, and lets herself relax.
Jason is kneeling by her.
"Can you breathe? Are you okay?" He's clearly worried but all she can do is nod and hope it's reassuring enough.
Her eyes want to close, an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion overtaking her. But she works up the strength to push herself up, taking in deep breaths as she stabilizes herself.
She almost died.
If it weren't for—
Looking around, she can't find the man who saved her. She needs to find him, needs to thank him.
But Jason is helping her up, asking questions as he checks her for injuries, and she has no choice but to be pulled away.
-.-
Naturally, she gets the rest of the day off. A warm shower and a cup of coffee later, she's feeling much better.
Night is falling on the beach now and the waves have just gotten stronger since earlier in the day. She can't help but shudder as she looks out of her window.
Thank god she's not out in the—
Her thoughts cut off as she sees the silhouette of someone sitting on the beach.
Is that…?
Without a second thought, she's opening her front door and walking out into the sand.
"Hey!" she yells, waving her hands.
The figure looks up, and sure enough, even in the dim lighting, she can make out that it's him.
"Come here!" she yells again, gesturing him towards her as the wind picks up.
He listens, thankfully, and she takes a step back onto her tiny porch. She doesn't know what she's doing. Except, she does. She knows what she's about to do even though she hasn't thought it through.
"Do you want to come in?" she asks when he's close enough to hear, wrapping her cardigan around herself tighter.
He doesn't respond, but it's getting chilly so she makes up his mind for him. "Come in."
She holds open the door, and after a second of hesitation, he follows her through.
Maybe her little tryst into the sea made her lose her mind because she might be crazy to let a stranger into her house. Then again, he did save her life. She figures it's only fair.
"Hey," she says, shutting the door behind him. "I wanted to thank you for saving me today."
The man, who's been staring at every little detail of her small living room, finally looks up at her. "Of course."
"I," she hesitates, not wanting to make any assumptions. "I've seen you out there and I was wondering if you had any place to go?"
He turns to her with that same confused look on his face.
"Like…a home..." she clarifies.
A look of understanding passes over his face. "I can't go home…"
"Oh."
She's not really sure how to respond to that and she doesn't want to pry in case the situation is traumatic.
"Well, do you want to spend the night here?" she offers. "There's a storm coming in and I have a couch."
She gestures to the couch in question and he follows her gaze.
"That's very kind of you, but…I don't want to intrude."
"I insist! I mean, you did save my life."
It must be why she so inexplicably trusts him. She really wants him to stay here rather than spend another night on the beach.
He's hesitating again, and she smiles encouragingly until he sighs, giving in with a nod.
And for some reason, that's when it hits her, again, that he's still not wearing a shirt.
Trying not to get too distracted (not that he's distracting or anything, he's just, uh…anyway), she offers him the shower.
"Shower?" He repeats.
"Yeah, if you want to get warm and clean." She looks around vaguely. "I'm sure I can find some clothes that'll fit you." (Not that she was looking at him enough to really know what would fit him).
She does have gym shorts that she got from the men's section for particularly lazy days, and for once, her love of oversized shirts can come in handy.
"Come on, the bathroom is this way." She leads the way down the tiny, basically nonexistent hall.
He follows her as she drops him off at the door. "Right is hot by the way," she explains as she hands him a spare towel.
"I'll leave the clothes outside the door."
"You're…" he starts, speaking up for the first time. "You're very kind."
She waves it away. "It's no big deal. I'll be in the living room."
Grabbing the clothes and placing them at the door, she makes her way to the kitchen, wondering what kind of food to give him. She's got soup left over from dinner, hopefully he'll like it.
She doesn't know why she's doing so much for someone she doesn't even know. Maybe it's because he saved her life, maybe it's because she feels bad that he doesn't have a home to go to, maybe it's because she just trusts him. (It's certainly not just because he's hot, not that she's noticed.)
A few minutes later, he emerges from the hall. The shirt is a little tight, but better than nothing. (Though the way the fabric stretches when he moves leaves little to the imagination.)
"Do you like soup?" she asks, as he walks over to her.
"Soup?"
She nods towards the bowl. "Yeah, I made some earlier, it'll warm you up."
She watches him tentatively pick up the spoon. "It's not horrible, I promise," she jokes, and he stops to look up at her.
"I don't think it's going to be horrible at all."
It's a normal enough thing to say but something about the way he says it feels a little…strange. Then again, the whole situation is strange.
As he takes his first spoonful, she realizes she doesn't know his name.
"What's your name?"
"Perseus."
"Wow…that's unique."
"What is yours?"
"Annabeth."
He nods, putting down the spoon, and smiles lightly at her. It's the first time she's seen him smile (it lights up his face in the best possible way). "It fits you perfectly."
"Thanks," she replies, feeling her face flush a little under the gaze and the smile.
"You've done so much for me," he says as he finishes his bowl. "Someone you don't even know."
"Well, I don't really know if I'd be here if it weren't for you."
Saying it like that makes a chill run down her spine as her own words hit her. She absently takes the empty bowl to the sink.
She'd almost persuaded herself into normalcy, but it doesn't change the fact that she could've died today.
Perseus seems to notice the change because he speaks up in calm voice. "Yet you are here, that is the important thing."
She nods, again absently walking to the couch.
He follows her.
"Annabeth." She turns at the sound of her name, feeling a tingle at hearing it come from his mouth. "You are here, focus on that and not what could have happened."
His eyes have a depth behind them that she can't explain.
"Yeah…"
The word drifts off with her thoughts as a sense of tiredness washes over. She can't stop her yawn. "I'm gonna go to bed."
Standing up she gathers a blanket and a spare pillow, handing them off to him. "Here you go."
He stares at the items in her hands for a second before accepting them. "Thank you."
"Of course, good night."
With everything that has happened, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to fall asleep. But when she flops down on her bed, all the thoughts leave her and she's asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow.
-.-
She wakes up the next morning to loud knocking. Mumbling incoherently, she drags herself out of bed to find out what the commotion was.
"Who are you?" Jason's voice is loud and clear. It immediately wakes her up as she rushes to the living room to see Perseus at the door.
Right.
She's let a stranger into her house.
"Perse—"
She curs off when she notices what's in Jason's hands. "Is that for me?"
"Perce?" Jason is still staring. "Wait…are you the guy who helped her out of the water yesterday?"
She nods, replying for him. "Yeah, so is that for me or no?"
Jason shakes his head but hands her the box of chocolates. "I'm only giving these to you because of your near-death experience, don't get used to it."
"You do care," she jokes, taking them.
"Of course I care, Annabeth."
His tone is serious and she nods, realizing the weight of what had happened yesterday all over again. It's not something she can take lightly.
"So," Jason continues. "What's Perce doing here?"
There's that protective older brother edge to Jason's voice, but before she can explain Perseus speaks up for the first time.
"She offered me a place for the night," he answers.
Annabeth nods. It's the truth after all. Jason shoots her a look like he's going to talk about it later, and knowing him, he will.
But at least for now, he just nods.
"Well, I have to go for my shift. Don't worry about coming in today, just get some rest."
She nods. "Thanks, Jason."
With that, he leaves and as soon as she shuts the door, she waves the box of chocolates around.
"Is this a bad breakfast?"
Perseus—Perce, as she's now dubbed him—frowns. "I think it'll be sweet, is it not?"
She picks up a piece and pops it in her mouth. "You're weird," she tells him, spirits raised by the chocolate.
He raises an eyebrow. "Is that bad?"
She looks at him, sitting at the table with his back straight and his hands in his lap. He might be weird, but she can't help but find it endearing.
"No," she decides. "I like it."
It's the first full smile she's gotten from him, and it stops her in her tracks with just how beautiful it is.
"Thank you."
She just nods, trying to get over just how…good he looks, especially when he smiles.
"Do you want one?" she offers, realizing she's just standing there eating the chocolate.
As usual, he doesn't respond right away, so she pushes the box towards him. "Go ahead."
As with everything, he hesitantly picks it up, and she wants to tell him he doesn't have to feel bad because she's offering, but then he's putting it in his mouth and his eyes widen impossibly.
"Good?" she asks, a smile coming to her face at his reaction.
He turns to her with his still-wide eyes. "That is like…ambrosia."
"Like what?"
"The food of the gods," he explains.
She nods. Sometimes he says the strangest things. But the happy smile on his face is so worth it.
"Chocolate is as close as you can get," she agrees, closing the box to stop herself from eating more.
She notices the dripping sink as she puts away the box and sighs.
"What is wrong?" Perce asks.
She gestures towards the sink. "This thing has been leaking for a few days. I guess I should try to fix it since I'm not working."
She looks dubiously at the thing for a few more seconds when he speaks up again, voice suddenly much closer.
"May I?"
She jumps a little at his closeness, and realizes he's walked up to just behind her.
He smells like the ocean in a delicious kind of way, and she can feel her cheeks heat up.
"Go for it."
Stepping to the side, she watches as he examines the sink. His back is extremely well-defined (not that she's watching it or anything).
"I'm, uh." She needs to get out of here. "I'm gonna go change real quick, so…"
And before he can say anything, she's making a mad dash to her bedroom. Heart beating a little too fast, she scowls at herself. What is she doing with a stranger in her house and why the hell is she so inexplicably attracted to him?
She spends way too much time figuring out what to wear. Why does it matter anyway? And yet she finds herself leaving her hair down from its usual ponytail.
When she walks back out, he's standing by the sink with his hands on his hips.
"It is fixed." He says when he hears her enter. He turns around and a flush makes its way onto her cheeks as he takes in her outfit.
"Really?" she says breathlessly, focusing her attention on the now not-leaking sink. "That's awesome! Thank you!"
"Of course," he replies quietly.
"Well, that just saved me so much time." She turns to him. "My day just opened up."
He stays quiet and she realizes that they never quite discussed what happens now that it's day. She had offered him shelter from the storm, but today is a bright sunny new day.
What was he going to do? Go back to sitting on the beach?
Somehow that doesn't sit right with her.
He stands there, in that tight shirt of hers and—
"Do you want to go shopping? We can get you some clothes that fit better."
He looks just as surprised as she feels at her words.
"Shopping?"
She nods, strengthening her own crazy idea. After all, she's already kinda taken him in at this point. Plus, he did fix her sink for her.
"Yeah, let's go." She gestures towards the door, grabbing her keys and wallet.
He hesitates for a second before, quietly following after her.
There's a pier nearby with some stores that, granted, sell shirts with Montauk printed on them. But she doesn't think he'll mind.
"So," she starts hesitantly as they begin their walk. "What brought you here?"
She figures she should know at least a little more about this guy if she's spending this much time with him.
"My father banished me from my home."
"You got kicked out? I'm sorry…" And she really does empathize. She's not close with her own family, hence the small cabin on the beach. The first thing she'd done after becoming an adult was distance herself from them. Perseus must not have the luxury despite clearly being an adult.
"He has a violent temper. He will get over it eventually."
She doesn't think that's a home he really should be returning to anyway, but it's not her place to say anything.
"So you don't have anywhere to live in the meantime?"
He gestures towards the beach in lieu of answering.
"But you can't just live on the beach!" She can't believe that's his only option.
"It is not so bad."
"Well, I don't agree," she says. "How about you stay with me until you can get back on your feet?"
He turns to her, surprised at her offer. "You are…exceptionally kind."
She shrugs. Given that he did save her from drowning, and fixed her sink, it's not really that much of an inconvenience to her.
And she honestly doesn't believe that he means any harm towards her. Of course, she could be wrong, but she almost died yesterday, why not live a little.
"It is true," he continues. "There is hope for humans if they can be like you."
Her cheeks burn at his compliments.
"It's really not a big deal," she brushes them away. "Now come on! We're at the pier!"
She hangs back for a second watching him take in everything with a small smile on her face. Such wisdom masked with boyhood wonder at the smallest things, he's unlike anyone she's ever met.
-.-
She wakes up the next morning to Perseus standing by a cup of tea over her small dining table.
"Good morning," he greets, sliding the cup over to her.
"For me?" she asks, taking the steaming cup. Of course it's for her, but it's been such a long time since she's lived with anyone, especially someone who did things for her like make her tea in the morning.
"I hope the water is not too hot."
She takes a sip and it's the perfect amount of hot (*cough* kinda like him). "It's perfect! Thank you."
He smiles and she takes in his new blue Montauk t-shirt and beach shorts they got at the pier yesterday. It's a little ridiculous on someone of his stature but it's also incredibly cute. She's staring, anyway.
She quickly averts her eyes, sighing into her drink.
"I have to work today…" she starts.
"I will come with you," he declares before she can suggest anything.
"Okay, it'll be a lot of waiting at the bea—"
She cuts herself off after realizing that's what he did for two days before she took him in.
"I don't mind," he replies kindly and she just nods.
They head out to the beach once she finishes her breakfast. She leaves Perce at the side to walk to the lifeguard's shack.
"Annabeth, how are you?" Jason asks, when she walks in.
"I'm alright."
"You sure you're up for this?" Thalia asks, clearly still concerned. (As if the barrage of texts she got from yesterday wasn't enough, it was incredibly sweet).
"I'll be okay," she assures her friends with a smile.
Jason and her head out, and her eyes automatically search for Perseus. She finds him to the left, standing at the shoreline where she found him. As if noticing her gaze, he looks up and smiles. She finds herself smiling back.
Jason notices. "So, who is this guy who's been following you around like a puppy?"
She averts her gaze to focus on Jason. "I found him on the shoreline days ago. He's been kicked out of his home, so I offered my couch since he did save my life."
Jason frowns. "So, you've let a stranger into your home? That's not safe, Annabeth!"
She shrugs. "I've gotten to know him. He's a little weird, but really nice. He made me tea this morning."
"So? You need to be more careful!"
She turns to Jason. "I almost drowned, Jason. If he hadn't saved me, I would have died. I couldn't leave him on the beach after that."
"About that, you a hundred percent okay with working today?"
She nods. "Yes. I'll be fine. I'll see you at noon for the switch."
Jason heads out and she climbs up to her chair, surveying the beach. There's not too many people yet, but she sees a little girl dance up to the shoreline, her parents a few steps behind.
The girl is too busy looking at something in the sand doesn't realize that she's about to bump into Perseus.
She watches as he turns around at her presence, quickly kneeling down to her level.
They seem to talk for a second, as her parents rush forward.
Perce puts his hand in the sand and then holds out something she can't quite make out, but she hears the little girl's happy squeal as she takes it.
The family walks away leaving him standing there with a soft smile on his face.
She can't look away.
Once again, as if noticing her gaze, he directs that smile at her and she bites her lip as if it'll stop the way her heart is thrumming in her chest. She shoots him a little wave.
She needs to focus, pay attention to more than just him. She has a job to do after all.
But as the day goes on, she can't help but sneak a few glances at what he's doing.
When it's time to switch with Jason, she gets a little anxious. It'll be the first time she's going back into the water. But the waves are calm, and she can feel Perce's eyes on her. For some reason, that makes her feel better.
Overall, it's a pretty uneventful day, which is good in her book. And when she wraps up for the day, she walks back to the shoreline to collect Perseus before heading home.
-.-
Three days later, they've settled into quite a routine. He makes her tea when she wakes up, they go to the beach when she works, and she cooks some dinner for them to watch over tv.
Perseus tries to help out where he can, usually just fixing things, but she finds that his company is enough as they chat over dinner.
It's nice, even if she finds herself staring at him more than she probably should.
On the fourth day, she wraps up work and walks to the shoreline where he's always standing to get him.
He's staring longingly out at the ocean and she lightly taps his shoulder.
"Do you want to go in?" she asks, wading just a little further. Even though she's not far, she gets a flashback to her moment of panic and quickly retreats back to his side.
Maybe she's not quite ready to go in.
Perseus shakes his head. "I cannot."
She doesn't know what that means because he clearly can swim if he saved her from drowning but before she can ask, he turns to her. "Are we going home now?"
She nods, his words echoing a little in her head. It's only been a few days, but the words feel right coming from him.
They're just settling in for dinner when there's a knock on her door.
Shooting a confused look at Perce, she goes to open it, finding a man in a woman dressed in formal business clothes that do not make sense for a beach.
"So sorry for the late call," the lady starts with a smile that makes it seem like she is not sorry at all.
"We're from Octavian Inc." the man cuts in. "We're looking to buy out this property for a new resort."
She feels a warmth behind her and realizes that Perseus has gotten up and is standing behind her.
They both look up at him, and she's just glad for the support.
"So?" she asks, bringing their attention back. "I'm not selling my house."
The woman's smile turns visibly forced. "We can offer a lot of mone—"
"I don't want it. I'm not interested in selling."
"I'm sure we can arrange some—"
"She said," Perce speaks up for the first time. "She is not going to sell her home."
The man scowls up at him, opening his mouth to say something but Perce cuts him off. "Leave."
He says it calmly enough but with so much authority it reverberates through her own body. She shuffles closer to him, glad he's on her side.
The man and woman leave quickly after that, and she shuts the door after him with a frown.
"Thanks," she says absently, still worried.
"They will not come back," he reassures.
She shakes her head. She knows the type. They've tried to turn this stretch into something before and it had been a fight and hassle then.
"They will, they want the land and they have a lot of money. They're going to force us out somehow. This has happened before, it's a miracle we got them to back down."
She stares out the window. "This is good real estate, and these cabins are old, which is how most of us have managed to get them. But…" she trails off.
She really doesn't want to lose her home.
"They will not come back," he says again, his voice harder this time. She turns to look at him, his eyes are raging. "I promise."
The sun sets on an angry ocean that night. Waves big and strong, crashing violently onto the beach.
By the time they're about to head to bed, she's worried that the water is going to reach her house. Her cabin is sort of closer to the ocean and a little away from the others.
The last thing she needs on top of a corporation trying to take over her home is a bad storm.
The beach is closed the next day because the waves are too dangerous, so she sits anxiously inside. She sees the two people from the corporation, struggling to walk on the uneven path, towards the cabins.
And that's when the waves get even bigger. Bigger than ever recorded for this part of the world.
She watches as the man and the woman make a frightened dash in the other direction as a fifteen-foot wave starts to swell.
"Oh shit!" she yells, panicked at the wave about to hit her house.
"Perce, we need to—"
Her words cut off as she turns around to look at him, standing calmly in the middle of the room, a strong…something filling the space. He looks…powerful.
The wave is getting closer now and she backs away from the window, sparing another glance at him. For a second it looks like his eyes are glowing, but then the wave is here and she braces for impact.
But it never comes.
Shocked, she runs to window to find it dry, untouched as if the wave never existed.
But seeing the wet sand all around, it clearly did exist. But how?
Confused she turns back to Perseus who's still standing there, looking more…normal now.
"What just happened?" she says out loud, confused, scared, and relieved all rolled into one.
He doesn't respond, just walks up behind her to look out the window. The ocean is still choppy, but the waves aren't reaching further into the beach now.
Shivers run down her spine as she looks at the ocean. That had been the strangest thing…that wave should have hit her house, it was heading straight for her. And yet, it hadn't.
She turns back to Perseus.
And what had been up with him? There had been something…something different, something off about his behavior.
A tiny nagging thought at the back of her head forms telling her that he had something to do with all this.
It's ridiculous, of course, but…
She shakes it off and heads into the kitchen just to have something to do.
"Do you need any help?" Perseus asks as usual, following her.
She shakes her head, and he sits at the table. "What do you want?" she asks instead, trying to get herself together.
"Whatever you do." It's his usual reply.
He seems normal enough. So she shakes off her thoughts and focuses on food.
-.-
They're finishing dinner when she gets a call from Jason.
"Did you hear?" he says as soon as she picks up.
"What?"
"So you know those two assholes trying to buy your house?"
"Yeah." She had texted Jason and Thalia about it last night after it had happened.
"Well, rumor has it, they've booked it to the city after how crazy things got today. And I don't believe them, those waves…we've never got that here."
"I know, it was crazy. So they're gone?"
"According to Thalia's friend Piper, they deemed it too unsafe or something, so I think you're in the clear!"
"That's awesome, thanks so much for telling me Jason!"
"Yeah, thought you should know."
She quickly ends the call to tell Perseus the great news.
"So I think I can keep my house!" she finishes excitedly.
Perseus's smile is strangely serene, and there's that spark behind his eyes again.
"Good." Is all he says.
That nagging thought comes back in full force at his reaction. There's something up with him. She takes the dishes to the sink, her mind replaying everything she knows about him.
How she had found him on the shoreline…how had he not drowned? He had been in direct path of the water. She'd even helped him sit to avoid the water flowing to his face.
And the way he spoke, talking about his father and humans and the way he looked at the ocean.
It might have been the panic, but she swears she saw his eyes glow when that wave was coming for them. The wave that had mysteriously hit everything but her house.
The wave that had caused those people to leave.
She puts the plates in the sink and turns around to find Perseus standing right there.
His ocean scent once again overtakes her senses, and his eyes are so distracting as he reaches around her.
"I can wash those."
Blinking, she steps aside. How easy it is to get caught up in him. She's never felt that before with anybody.
There's something about him. She just doesn't know what.
So she calls an early night and goes to her bedroom. She waits two hours before sneaking back into her living room.
He's sitting on the couch with the lamp on, clearly lost in thought. She takes a small step forward and sees the glass of water she left for him on the table in front of him. His right hand is flicking up absently, and she watches as the water in the cup flips up as well.
He's not even looking at it, staring out the window, lost in thought but the water in the glass rises, defying gravity as soars into a stream up, the way his hand is moving.
She must be dreaming.
There's no way he's…controlling that water.
And yet it's happening in front of her, the water taking form of a heart for a moment before dropping back into the glass.
"What the—"
He jumps at the sound of her voice, eyes wide when he realizes she's standing there.
"What was that?" she demands, partly hysterical. "How were you doing that? Who are you!"
He stands up, holing up his hands. "Annabeth, please," he pleads.
She takes a step away. "No, tell me, what was that? Who are you?"
He sighs. "You would not believe me if I told you."
"Tell me!" she says, now backed up all the way against the kitchen counter.
Perseus approaches her slowly. "I am the son of Poseidon."
"What is that supposed to mean?" she asks, but even as she says it, she's fitting the pieces in her head. The god of the ocean in Greek mythology, Poseidon.
And this man was saying he's his son? The son of a god?
"I think you know what that means. You are very smart, Annabeth."
He takes a step closer and she has nowhere to go. "I mean you no harm," he continues. "You have been very kind to help me. But I will take your leave now."
He takes a step back, and adds, in a smaller voice that, if she didn't know any better, sounds a little like hurt. "You clearly do not want me here."
She stays silent, watching him back up and turn around.
He's leaving. He's actually leaving.
When his hand his on her doorknob she speaks up. "Where are you going to go?"
He doesn't turn around, but she sees his shoulders rise and fall. "I do not know."
And then he's opening the door and walking out.
Everything he's ever done flashes before her eyes and before she knows it, she's shouting "Wait!"
He stops and she runs over to him. "Wait," she repeats. "I have more questions."
Reaching out, she tentatively grabs his arm. When he doesn't react, she tugs him in. It occurs to her how much he's holding back his power, by the way he easily lets her pulls him back.
"You're the son of Poseidon," she starts, shutting the door. "And your father banished you? From the ocean?"
He nods.
"Why?"
Perseus shrugs. "Because he got mad."
"But you saved me…"
He frowns. "Yes, that angered him even more. But it was worth it."
"How could he just kick you out, and then get mad at you for saving a person?"
She's yelling a little, a mixture of hysteria and genuine anger.
"My father does not have any regard for humans. He does not know, for example, how beautiful they can be."
Perseus's voice drops a little as he speaks the last words, his gaze settling firmly on hers.
Adrenaline is coursing through her from this whole crazy situation that she's still having a hard time believing, even though she literally saw it happen in front of her.
And she'll blame it on the adrenaline as she takes a step closer to him, resting her hand on his arm.
He's watching her in silence, but his eyes look torn and broken.
She's not a god, she has no idea what's going on, but the look in his eyes feels human. And if she's not wrong…
She moves her hand from his arm to cup his face and he automatically leans into her touch.
"Annabeth…" the words are barely a whisper and they're so close.
"Hmmm?" she asks, staring into those deep sea-green pools.
"May I…kiss you?"
She smiles. "Please."
And then his lips are on hers and she can feel herself melting into his arms. Maybe that's just what it's like to kiss the son of a god but she feels like she's floating.
They part and Perseus's eyes are blown wide and it's shocking to see she's had some affect on him.
"Another?" he asks hopefully. Jason was right, he really is like a puppy.
Laughing a little, she leans in, indulging him in a kiss because, after all, who is she to deny a god?
-.-
Perseus—Percy, as they decided to make him blend in a little more with humans, is the best thing that's ever happened to her.
She wakes up to beautiful sea-green eyes, and he makes her tea and slowly learns other non-water related foods. They hold hands and Jason makes fun of him for acting like a whipped puppy which makes her smile, because he's the literal son the sea god and yet he does anything and everything for her.
It's the happiest she's been in a long while.
And then, a few months later, it all comes crashing down.
Because of course it does. Because of course, she can't have this.
They're in the middle of breakfast when Percy freezes and says the words that bring down her entire word.
"My father is calling me."
"What does that mean?" she asks. But the look on his face says it all, and her heart drops.
When he turns to look at her his eyes spill the truth even more.
No. No, this can't be happening. He can't.
"I'm sorry, my love."
His voice breaks for the first time, she can see how much this is breaking him.
"No," the word comes out as a whisper she can't control.
"I will be back."
She shakes her head, tears starting to stream down her face. "No, please."
He walks over to her, wrapping his arms around her. "I don't want to leave you either. But I promise I will return."
She sobs, clutching his shirt and she feels water hit her head and realizes he's crying too.
"Percy, please," she pleads, not wanting to let go.
"I'm sorry," he repeats. "I love you, never forget that."
He takes a step away from her and she almost collapses.
It feels too much like a proper goodbye.
"I love you too," she whispers as she helplessly watches him walk out the door.
-.-
Seven months pass. Everyday she looks out at the ocean and hopes, but it gets harder every day. He had promised to return, but it's been too long.
She should give up.
A cry from the other room startles her from her thoughts and she quickly walks into her bedroom.
The little bundle on her bed is crying and she quickly lifts up her daughter, trying to soothe her.
She'd been fussy all night.
Rocking the baby, she walks back into the living room, her thoughts once again drifting back to him.
She wonders if he would have stayed if he had known she was already two months pregnant. If he would have turned around and walked right back in.
It's in the past now though, and she looks away from the window to focus on her daughter.
The baby blinks up at her, soothed for the time being by being in her mother's arms, and an ache runs through her heart at the sight of those sea-green eyes.
Of course, her child would have her father's eyes.
A knock on the door brings her out of her thoughts and she adjusts her hold on the baby to walk to the door.
It's late at night and she's not expecting Jason or Thalia, so she's a little wary about opening the door.
As usual, whenever something scares her, she turns to her child. "Let's hope your dad's protecting us."
Then she puts the baby down in the little bassinet in the living room because she's not about to open the door in the late hours of the night with a child in her arms.
She nudges open the door a little, to peek out.
And freezes at the sight.
The door swings all the way open, but she remains frozen in place.
"Annabeth?"
His voice is exactly how she remembered. She must be dreaming. There's no way he's here in front of her right now.
He's wearing the same blue Montauk shirt and swim shorts he had been the day he left. Like no time had passed at all.
The cry of her daughter is a stark reminder that wasn't true. She turns away to run back to her baby.
Percy stands frozen at the door as she picks up her crying daughter and starts to rock her gently.
"Shhh, it's okay baby girl," she soothes.
Slowly she makes her way back to the door where the son of the sea god is still standing. "Look who it is," she says to her daughter, turning her so she can see the man at the door.
Percy's eyes widen when Silena blinks at him, the father and daughter staring at each other, strangely still.
"Annabeth…" His voice is broken as he reaches out a finger. Silena grabs it, wrapping her tiny fingers around it.
Annabeth doesn't know how to talk to him, doesn't know what to say. She knows he didn't want to leave but leaving her like this, with her to deal with all this alone…she's as upset as she is relieved.
"She's…" he trails off, staring at the baby in her arms. "She's beautiful."
Wordlessly, she steps back, letting him come in.
"What is her name?" he asks.
She can't bring herself to speak.
"Annabeth?" he says, shifting his attention to her. "I am sorry it took so long. But I have returned..."
She stays silent and he takes a step back, looking at the ground. "If, if you'll have me."
The idiot.
Of course, she'll have him.
"Silena," she responds.
Percy looks up, a hope filling those eyes she knows so well.
"May I hold her?"
Wordlessly, she passes the baby to him.
"She is exactly like you," he says, staring at the child.
"She has your eyes."
"But everything else is all you, completely beautiful."
He looks up at her. "I'm back, my love, just like I promised."
"Forever?"
"For as long as you'll have me."
As it turns out, that meant forever.
A/N: There you have it! I know it's a different kind of concept that I haven't really done before (other than the spirit one for Halloween that one time) but I wanted to do something special to make up for the fact that I missed last month's update and as an early Percy's birthday celebration!
Also this is the second to last chapter for How We Could Have Met 2 and next month's update will be a special final chapter to this series and will not be cross-posted to How We Could Have Met 3!
Also also, the reason I missed last month is because I launched my new book into a moment of time! (Check out my profile if you want to read it!)
I hope you guys liked this one! Please Review because I'd love to hear your thoughts!
And as always, thanks for reading!
See ya! :)